Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates her win against Alycia Parks of the United States during day four of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers at Sobeys Stadium on August 05, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. Matthew Stockman, Getty Images/AFP
MANILA — A year after making history as the first Filipino to win a singles match at a Grand Slam in the Open Era, Alex Eala is returning to New York — this time with more fanfare and hype, and higher expectations to match.
In 2025, Eala made her main draw debut in the US Open and essayed a thrilling victory over Denmark's Clara Tauson in their first round encounter.
Down 1-5 in the deciding third set, Eala leaned on the support of a raucous crowd to pull off a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 triumph.
Her US Open campaign ended in the second round against Cristina Bucșa, but the result against Tauson was a highlight of Eala's breakout year in the WTA Tour. Since then, Eala has taken her level even higher, and in 2026 she returns to Flushing Meadows as one her sport's most popular stars.
Now ranked No. 18 in the world and coming off her first WTA title in Washington DC, Eala is seeking to make a deeper run in the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the year. She starts her campaign against American qualifier Mary Stoiana in the first round, though the match schedule has yet to be announced.
READ: Eala faces Osaka in practice ahead of US Open clash with Stoiana
"I've experienced so much growth in the past year and so many milestones in my career," said Eala, who memorably broke out in the 2025 Miami Open wherein she defeated a slew of former Grand Slam champions en route to a semifinal finish.
"I've gotten to work closely with so many amazing tennis players… I've gotten to compete against the best of the best a lot more frequently," she added.
Among those players is American star Jessica Pegula, whom Eala defeated in the final of the Mubadala DC Open for her first WTA Tour championship. On her way to that crown, she had also took down defending champion Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
"I have a pretty strong baseline of belief in myself," said Eala. "It's very normal that it fluctuates, but my baseline has remained quite steady… I know what I can do.
"I'm strong in who I am as a person and what my character is," she added.
Eala is now looking to lean on that mentality in the US Open, where she hopes to exceed her best result in a Grand Slam — a run to the fourth round of Wimbledon earlier in the year.
Along the way, she is expected to draw massive support from the Filipino community in New York City. "Eala-mania" has become a genuine phenomenon on tour, with both active and former players taking note of the Filipina's tremendous fanbase.
READ: Pinoy fans flock to Fifth Avenue for Alex Eala meet-and-greet in New York
While she embraces the support that she gets, Eala is also keen to keep things in perspective.
"At the forefront of everything is gratitude. I'm very grateful for the support that my fans give me and that my supporters give me," she said. "But in terms of what I contribute to tennis… every single WTA player has contributed to the history of tennis just by being here and putting in the work every single day.
"I think that I'm a drop in the ocean when it comes to these things," she added. "There are so many stories behind the scenes that you might not even realize. That really keeps me humble."
The US Open might be the year's final Grand Slam, but Eala will stay busy until the end of the year. She is expected to represent the Philippines in the Asian Games in September, before returning home for an exhibition match against Indonesia's Janice Tjen at the Philippine Arena.
"It's a way to celebrate culture, to celebrate tennis, and for people to have fun," said Eala. "I think it's going to be a really great experience for people to watch tennis live." — report from TJ Manotoc, ABS-CBN News
READ: Alex Eala to face Janice Tjen in homecoming celebration hosted by Tatler
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